Improvement in knitting-machines



JOHN n. viNTON, OFBRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, AssIeNoR To ARMSTRONG, OF SAME PLACE.

PATENT OFTTCn.

FRANK IMPROVEM'ENTHIN KNITTINGMACHINES.

i Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 172,940, dated February 1, 1876; application filedl July 2e, 1R75. v

Toall ywhom it may concern: i

Be it known that I,'JOHN H. VINTON, of Bridgeport, county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knitting-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view ot' a portion of an elliptical knitting-machine, to which my iinprovements are applied. vation of that portion of the machine to which the improved mechanism which I have invented for controlling and eti'ecting the adjustment of' the needles is attached. In this view the yarn-guide is on the right-hand sidev of the workingcenterof the cam, and in its extreme position. Fig. 3 is Ya side view ot' a portion of the cam-plate,the covering or face plate of the cam being removed. Fig. 4' is a transverse section, in the line fw w of Fig. 2, of the cam and attachments thereof. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 2, but the yarn-guide is on the left-hand side ot' the working-center of the cam, and in its extreme position. Fig. 6 is a side view of 4the cam, the face-plate being removed, and the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, bn't looking from the opposite direction. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of' the cam in the line fw fw of Fig. 6, the face-plate in position and the parts in'v condition shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Figs. 8 and 9.are longitudinal sections showing the gate and devices for operating. it, through which the needles are passed in and out of the Working-groove, for

purposes hereinafter described. Fig. l0 is ay side elevation of the cam, with the face-plate removed. In this-view the yarn-guideis shown by full black lines in the position it occupies while the needles are passing from the position shown by the black lines to the position shown in the rst set of dotted lines, and the said yarnguide is shown by dotted lines in the position it occupies while the needles are passing to the second position shown by dotted lines. Fig. l1 is a side elevation `of the cam in a reversed position from that shown in Fig. 10, with the face-plate replaced. In this view the yarn-guide is shown by full black lines in Fig. 2 is a side ele.

needle and yarn carrier in the extreme posi-I tion shown by Fig. 5, but looking from the oppositevside. L

'The nature of my invention consists, first,

in constructing the knitting-cam, which Vhas two or more needle-grooves, and gates bctween two of the grooves, with needleelevators, which are at the respective ends of an angular knittingcam, whereby a movable yarn-guide, which requires to be stationary at times, according to the Work to be knit, may be employed, and the necessity of using a permanent or immovable yarn-guide avoided, and

thus the linconvenience arising from using switches for separating the needles, while re'- versing thedirection ottheir travel on opposite sides of the yarn-guide, is overcome. Second, it consists in a reciprocating yarn-guide slide and a reciprocating reversing-slide, which are Y moved by the toevof the needles, so constructed and combined that the latter slide moves past the yarn-guide independently' of the former slide during the time the last of -the series of needles in use for knitting are passing to a position for receiving their supply of yarn l from the yarn-guide, and then both move 'together and carry the yarn-guide to the oppositel side ot' the knittingfcam, whereby all possibility of the yarn-guide being moved before all ot the needlesare supplied with yarn, and also of the needle-litters being operated before all the needles have passed beyond the free end ot' the lifter, is prevented, and thus imperfect knitting avoided, and hanging of the-needles upon the lifters at the time the machine is being reversed prevented. Third, it consists in needle-litters with short crankarms connected by means of a pitman; in combination with the reciprocating slide ofA the yarn-guide, whereby one of the needle-lifters is raised and the other lowered simultaneously, and one positively locked down'and the other locked up until the machine is reversed, and thus any casual elevation of the smallest portion of the free end of the lit'ters while the machine is knitting in one direction, and until itis reversed for knitting in an opposite direction, is rendered impossible. Fourth, it consists in reversing-dogs made adjustable for the purpose of rendering the machine capable of narrowing and Widening the work while knitting a heel, toe, or knee- It consists, lit'th, in an idle groove, provided with intersecting turn-out recesses, and with gateways, provided with alternately opening and closing gates, which are placed between said idle groove and the working groove, whereby a successive turning out of the needles into the idle groove is permitted, for the purpose of narrowing the knit fabric, (as iu forming a heel upon a stocking,) in such a manner that the needles, as fast as turned out on the right and left ends of the knitting-cam, are made to serve as means for reversing the movement of the needles which are not turned out as idle needles, (through the recesses,) and of the yarn-guide and needle-lifters, and for ei'ecting the opening of one or the other of the gates at the termination of the back or forward stroke of the working-needles and whereby, also, such needles as have been turned out for the purpose just stated, save two, are permitted to be passed back again into the lower or working groove, through the gateways, for the purpose of widening the fabric, (as in finishing the heel of a stockingg) and when said widening operation is completed or the heel finished, and it is desired to have all the needles together move in a circle or ellipse in the working-groove, the reversingneedles are also permitted to be passed down through the gates into said groove, and the regular knitting of the leg or foot of a stocking proceeded with until it is again necessary to narrow and widen, when the operations of taking up and turning out and of taking down needles are again repeated. It consists, sixth, in the combination of the levers for operating the gates which close and open the ways between the upper and middle grooves and the reversing-slide of the yarnguide. This combination is such that the reversing-slide in its reciprocal motion causes the gates to be opened automatically by an impingement of projections -of the slideI upon the levers. It consists, seventh, in terminating'the strokes of the yarn-guide slide and the therewith connected reversing-slide, and also holding the yarn-guide slide against any casual displacement by means of spring pins and stopnotches-the former on the frame of the ma chine, and the latter in the yarn-guide slide, or vice versa.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with references to the drawlugs.

The cam-plateA is inserted, preferably, in to a dat, or nearly fia-t, part of a knitting-machinefor instance, into the fiat or straight part of the elliptical or extension frame B of the knitting-machine patented by H. A. House April l2, 1870, as shown iu Fig. 1. The needles used in my machine are provided with toes i and sheaths j, and are of the same construction as those used in Houses machine. The said plate A has three grooves, y g1 g2, two of which are angular, the last or lowest of which, g2, continues the groove g5 in said Houses machine, into which certain of the needles are lowered through a gate, in order to knit certain kinds of ribbed fabrics, and bears no further relation to my invention.

The cam or working groove ql is of V shape, to give the proper motion to the needles after they have passed the yarn-guide. The inver-ted apex of the said groove gmay be made adjustable for tight and loose knitting by'a vertically-sliding tension-plate, b, with an adiustable thumb-screw, b', attached to the outside of the cam-plate. At the ends of the groove g1 movable sectors c c" arevinserted in recesses d d made of a size and shape suitab.e for the movements ofthe same, and for the continuation of the leading lines of the grooves g1 and g4, as will be hereafter described. l'The said sectors ce are connected with levers e e1 by means of pivots on the outside of the cam-plate, which levers are coupled by a pitman, C, in such a manner that the eX- treme positions of the sectors are` alwaysv reversed-Le., one is up and the other down.

The groove g1 is connected with the groove g4 at both ends by return lines, forming the recesses ct a', into which the sectors o c are alternately moved, for the purpose of forming an ascending passage for the needles in their movement past the yarn-guide for supply.

The levers e el are operated by the adjustable dogs FI F2 during their reciprocating movements received from the reversing-pin D, which plays between the said dogs, and is fastened to the reversing-slide D.

slide D into the groove g, which is slotted to allow the necessary roomfor the stroke of the reversing-pin, the slot being entirely through `the cam-plate, and extended for' the same purpose into the ends of the groove g3, and terreversing-pin D with the beginning ot' the next stroke, they are moved into recesses h 11, above the said groove, in which they are moved over the reversing-pin, and from which they are then guided into the groove g by the curved inner termination of the said recesses.

The said reverslng-pin D extends through the reversinguur leas-40S By this means thevreversingpin is kept'between the two sets `ot' needles inthe groovesgY and g3, and can be operated by them.

The dogs F1 F2 are tted on the yarn-guide i slide E2, so as to slide with a'longtudinal stroke, which stroke is adjustable by means of the plate E3, whichv is pivoted at eL in the center ot' the yarn-guide slide E2, directly opposite the yarn-guide E,-of whichlitforms a l part.

arrangement of the lifters c c', before the feed-v ing of the working-needlesis finished.

' The yarn-guide slide E2 moves back and forth in bracket-loops tt attached to the frame of the machine, cachot' said'loops being provided with a spring-pin, m, :which alternately engages with one of two shallow sockets', n, on the yarn-guide slide, E2, thereby terminatt ing the stroke of the said slide and keeping the yarn-guide steadyand rm against casual movements.

The 'reversingslide D moves in. devetail bearings on the cam-plate A, and hasv a camlever, q, pivoted to each end, whereby the cam surfaces may bey turned down orup. Directly beneath the said cam-levers-q the gatelevers Gr G are -pivoted to the frame ot' the machine at gfi ge. -The opposing ends ot' the said gate-levers form gates, and are turned into the gateways ffl, and iill them completely. The free ends are provided ywith springs f2 f2 to keep the gates closed, and with cani-snrfaces p, which are alternately operated by the cam-surfaces ofthe cam-levers q, when turned down, thereby opening the. gate next to the reversing-pin, while the opposite gate is closed by means ot' its closing-spring; 1 In Fig. Btwo needles arerepresented, the one in the groove g4, and the other in the groove g3 pushing thereversing-pin .D before it previous to the entering of the one needle into the groove g3. The dotted lines represent the same needles at the return stroke, and both in the upper groove g3.

In Fig.y l() t'our'needles are represented by full lilies in the act of passing the yarn-guide,

the two middle ones entering the recess a by means ofthe raised needle-lifter c. The two extreme needles are in the groove g3, and the one farthest from the cam-plate is pushing the reversing-pin D before it. The dotted g lines near the center ot' `the cam-plate repre# ksame middle working-needles'as they pass over the other needle-litter c into the groove g4. In Fig. l2 the said needles are represented after their stroke has been finished, thel nee dle-lil'ftersfbeing reversed and the machine ready for the return stroke.v

By having a knitting-cam with liftersA .andI `turn-out recesses and gates of my improved.. construction the necessityk ot' having a stationary yarn-guide is avoided; and by `the use,

of'- a movable yarn-guide with mycam thencedles do not require a cam on bothfthe rightv and left side-sof the yarn-guide to do their work, when worked tothe right and left, andA as this is the case there isno longer a necessity formaking the working-groove `.of the cam so long, and of a form which requires switch-grooves and switches to separate the needles when the machine is reversed, and

thus thehangingof the needles at the switches. f during the act of reversing the motion of thev machine, caused by the friction created be. tween the'spring-switches-and the toes ofthe needles while the needles are being separated in order to pass into different grooves, v1s

. avoided'.

kThe above-mentioned difculties have frequently been encountered in the operation ot' the knittingmachine patented by H.r A. House.

April12, 1870, and to overcome the same is the right s ide ofthe V or working groove, the f reversing-pin D at the right termination of its working-slot in the groove'g, the right cam q above the cam-surface p of the gate-lever G,

and the needle-lifter c uptas, described, the

needle with which the narrowing is to commence is moved opposite the gatefl; the cams of the reversing-pin D and the spring-pins m' and socket aon the yarnguide slide, the adjustment will be always vof a length equal to the thickness of a needlesheath on each-side.

By the said shortening of the stroke of the reversing slide the connection ot' the needles with the yarn-guide on the right and left of the narrowing-'rowI of needles is broken', and

the needles-of the narrowing-row are presented opposite their respective gateways in the prop-l er order ot' succession, thus greatly simplifying the labor'ot the operator. The operator now moves allthe needles to the left of-the cam, causing the needle in the recess hto isosceles triangle.

4V 17e-,94o

pass over the reversing-pin D on the other side of it, and by means of the inclined termination of the said recess into the idle groove g of the cam-plate. The operator counts from such vidle needle toward the right of the cam as many needles as he intends for the narrowing-row, and moves them tothe left of the cam until the last one of the said needles is opposite the gate j'. He then moves the reversing-slide D' to the left tothe termination of its stroke, thereby opening the gate f and reversing'the position of the sectors c c', and the yarn-guide E and itsslide E2. The toe of the needleleft opposite the said gate is now moved up through the open gateway f into the recess Ii. This makes the second idle needle. The needles are` now moved to the right ofthe cam, the second idle needle passed over the reversing-pin D-into.

the groove g, and the first idle needle now comes in contact with and pushes the reversing-pin D to the right ot' the cam to the end of its stroke, thereby reversing the positions ofthe sectors c c and the yarn-guide E and the slide E2, and placing the working-needle to the right of the first idle needle opposite the open gateway f. The said .last-named working-needle is now passed up in the abovedescribed manner into the recess h', thus making the third idle needle. After reversing the stroke the fourth idle needle will be made in a similar manner on the left ofthe second idle needle, and thus the operation is carried on for instance, until there are only two workingneedlcs left, which must remain as workingneedles, in order to prevent the machine from becoming inoperative.

The widening operation is preceded by the reversing of the plate E3, whereby the dogs F Fl are moved apart, and the stroke of the reversing-slide 'is lengthened again, so that the idle needles are placed opposite their respective gates in the reversed order or successioni. e., the last idle needle is moved into the working-groove tirst, and the idle needle next to the lastV is' moved into the workinggroove second, and so on until they all have become working-needles, at which moment the operator closes the gateways ff1 permanently by-,turning the handles of the camsover toward the surface of the machine, thereby making the' said cams inactive, and the ordinary knitting may now be resumed by con tinuing the movement of all the needles in the direction of the last stroke.

The shape ofthe so narrowed and also that of the so widened fabric is that ot' a V or The said widened and narrowed parts may be made of a one-sided shape, or that oi' a right-angled triangle, by closing one of the gateways permanently at'- ter the first workin g" need-le has passedthrou gli it into the recess above, and continuing the narrowing operation` on` the'oppositeside in a manner similar to thatlabovezdescribed.

The one-sided narrow part: may be made a,

right or left handed one, according to the p0- sition of the irst idle needle, andthe successive widening can only beperformed; on the same side-.on which the preceding narrowing was performed.-

The operator may also move after each stroke several working-needles successively through the open gateway into the respective recesses and idle groove g, and thereby give the narrowed part of the fabric a quicker or more obtuse angle. s

A similarresult may be ei'ectedin the widened part by passing after eachstroke several of the idleneedles successively through the respective openy gateways into the working-groove g1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cam-plate A, having grooves g g1, and gates ff', provided with the needle-lifters c c', which are at opposite ends of the camgroove gl, substantially as and for the pur- 3 pose described.

2. The combination of a reciprocating yarnguide slide, E, and a reciprocating reversingslide, D', moved by the toesof the needles, said slides being constructed to move one in advance ofthe other, and then together, substantially as and for vthe purpose described.

3. The needle-litters c c', connected together by a pitman, C, and operated together, in combination with the locking-extensions of the yarn-guide slide, whereby the lit'ters are locked in position, and held so until required to be reversed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The adjustable reversing-dogs F1 F2, in combination with the yarn-guide slide, substantially as andfor the purposedescribed.

5. A knitting-machine, provided with tnrnout recesses It h', substantially as and1 for the purpose described.

6. The levers G Gr', jf'or opening the gates ff', in combination with the slide D', substantially as and for the purposcdcscribed.

7. The combination of the yarn-guide slide E2, having stop-sockets 'n in its face, springpins m, and the reversing-slide D', substantially as and for the purpose described.

Witness'lny handin the matter of myapplication for a patent on a knitting-machine.

JOHN H. VINTON.

Witnesses: V

J. N. CAMPBELL, J. TYLER POWELL. 

